Cosmetics/ Make-Up in Japan (Why I Can't Hoard)

Before I headed to Japan, I planned on buying as many make-up it essentials as I can when we hit Kyushu. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out so. What I need and want from their drugstores are very different from what was offered to me. Below are reasons why:


1. Everything was too SPARKLY

Well not everything, but a lot of things I wanted in matte came with glitter. This includes eyeshadows, blushes, lip glosses, some lipsticks (not a lot though) and even bronzer. From Maquillace to Canmake, most of the drugstore cosmetics have some sort of shimmer in one form or another. 


2. Certain Items Were Barely Available

I've been on the hunt for bronzer since October 2013. I thought maybe Nagasaki's drugstores could offer me good quality and affordable bronzers, but I only found 2. Both were too shimmery and one of them cost @2500 yen which was a little too expensive for me. The 2500 yen one came from an organic-y brand type but it was mixed with a lot of glitter as well so a double no from me.

Also, Japan doesn't have a market for looking tan. They're more into the blush on the apples of the cheeks look rather than contouring. 


3. Made for Japan's Climate

There is a big difference with between the climate of a temperate country and a tropical country. For now, it's much drier and cooler (for most part) in Japan. I couldn't buy foundations, BB creams or CC creams because I was was afraid it'd be too greasy to use back home. They were all too moisturising for my oily combination skin.

N.B. For the colours of the three things mentioned above, they were mostly for cool-toned girls or at least people who want to look cool-toned. As I am more on the warm side, I hadn't found anything that would suit me.



4. Blushes Were All Orange Or Pink

Related to no. 2. The look a lot of girls go for is the girly, innocent look. Unfortunately again, their make-up culture is not into very natural looking make-up (that's my general observation from the people I've seen) so most of their blushes were a little too bright for me. Everything was always bright pink or bright orange or even an ombre of both.



5. Can't Speak the Language

This is more of a technical reason than a preferential thing. I can't speak Japanese and the girls at the counters can barely speak English so I'm on my own when it comes to finding alternatives and options. Maybe that's why I couldn't find a lot of the products that would suit me too, so too avoid this, do a lot of research on the products you want to buy before heading to the drugstore.


That is it for now. Hope no one got discourage to buy in their drugstores. I have an upcoming post though about the treasures I did get to find...